Baladin Wayan

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Saison
Piozzo, Italy

Bevuta in piena estate per questo particolarmente piacevole e di nuovo in questi giorni.Dolce sapore fruttato e floreale con un’aggiunta speziata,estremamente godibile,

bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando - sweet, spicy with coriander and other misc spices, very light and different type of saison - extremely enjoyable - great for warm weather of Florida - huge hit with other samplers

Thanks to Alan at Coastal Wine Connection ... Poured very pale, more than expected. Champagne-like top. Little aroma at first, but the beer delivers a nice palate and a body that would compliment almost any food. Tart at first but settles into a complex fruity and light ale with a moderate body. Outstanding.

Pours with a just barely hazy, lightly orange tinged, full gold color. It is topped by a frothy, initially three finger thick, meringue like, barely off white colored head. The beer is quite well carbonated, with mad streaming rivulets of carbonation bubbles rushing to the surface of the beer. Quite a distinct aroma of fresh apple cider emanates from my glass, even as I am pouring it. Upon closer inspection pale-malted barely notes are noticeable with aromas of toasted soda crackers and pale biscuits. There is quite a bit of spiciness here as well; I did not notice it at first, but now that I have it is quite noticeable. Aromatic spice notes of black pepper, resinous pine or better yet rosemary, something that I imagine as dried lichen, and some flower notes reminiscent of lavender, perhaps a touch of rose and even chamomile. The up front fruit note is certainly not the dominant note (I am not sure any one note is), but does still play a role throughout; besides the apple there is also some pear like notes, but the apple is the most distinct. This has a very interesting, very complex aroma to it. I really like how the distinct notes of fruit, malt and spice interweave here; all are quite distinct and noticeable at various points, yet none totally dominate the others.

Lightly sweet up front, with a touch of acidity to it, both of these notes accentuate the apple notes in the flavor. The beer immediately froths up on my tongue, but somehow manages to remain fairly soft & creamy feeling, without the usual carbonic bite that one usually gets from a beer this well carbonated. This is actually fairly tart, though I would not characterize this as a sour beer. It is a very soft acidity though and is akin to the type of acidity found in ripe fruit. Flavors of apple, star-fruit and lemon round out the fruity notes. The complex spices from the aroma are much muted in the flavor, which is actually a good thing. Instead they form a subtle backdrop, which adds notes of white pepper, ginger, earthy coriander, hints of some turpene notes (reminiscent of tongue numbing nutmeg), orange blossoms and lavender.

By the second pour the pear notes have become much more apparent in the aroma, even more so than the apple. A touch of yeasty / bready aromatics has also been added to the aroma, as there was some sediment from the bottom of the 750ml bottle poured in. Along with the second pour flavor notes of orange peel (creamsicle with the creamy mouthfeel), and the fruity tartness become more apparent.

This is a really nice beer, and more importantly it is thoroughly enjoyable. It is really complex, almost challenging in the nose, yet is so smooth and drinkable, because of both the soft creamy mouth feel, yet light body and the smooth, well integrated flavors; this is almost a perfect combination as a bunch of complex spice notes in the flavor would have made this too cluttered.

750ml bottle: Golden yellow pour with a pillowy white head. Very nice aroma of spicy yeast, honey malt and earth. Some alcohol rounds out the nose. The body is really peppery, which is nice. Some rye adds to the multi-dimensioned body. A very interesting take on the style. Saison is one to go to the fringe with and this beer certainly does that.

Pours cloudy orange with golden yellow hues. Large white head forms, leaving in its wake cobweb like lacing and teeming carbonation. The aroma is just enormous lemon zest, along with coriander, hops, chamomile, light lavender and a good helping of yeast. Malt profile is interesting, in the nose it’s so subdued, while in the flavor it’s spicy, refreshing, not grainy at all. Flavor is more yeast and lemon, orange hints coming through in the backnote. Finishes very light and crisp, short. Palate is lively and easygoing and very easy to ponder over. I really thought this was an amazing beer for one reason alone: The climatic differences of Belgium and Itlay are far apart, tasting a saison made with that spirit in mind, from Italy finally, brought to life a whole new mode of thinking for me. This beer is lighter and more citric than a traditional saison, but would also be more likely to be consumed in warmer climes, at least if it were consumed in its country of origin. A well planned and executed take on a classic style. Excellent work Baladin.

Pours golden and hazy with a white head. Smells yeasty with some nice fruity elements. Tastes citrussy with a very nice spiciness.

Hazy golden color with a thin white head. Aroma is perfumed fruit, floral, light sweetness. Flavor is also lightly fruity, almost a touch of strawberries or raspberries, hints of honey, possibly some coriander, but very very little. An extremely well made and well balanced saison. Reminds me of fields of hay in the summer.